The present invention relates to devices for holding wrench socket sets.
Various storage devices for wrench sockets have been proposed both with and without storage for a wrench handle.
Certain wrench socket storage devices do not permit readily varying the number of socket holders nor do they provide an adequate number of holders or for quick alteration of the number of holders to hold more or less wrench sockets.
Complicating the matter of storing a collection of wrench sockets is the fact that such sockets come in a range of drive sizes, usually xc2xcxe2x80x3, xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3 and xc2xdxe2x80x3.
In the prior art are several patents directed toward the storage of a selection of wrench sockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,655, issued Jul. 25, 2000 to the present inventor, discloses a wrench socket holder having a guideway on which are carried several socket holders each having depending leg members which slideably engage the guideway.
A copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/487,202, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,466, discloses a support for wrench socket holders which define an enclosed area through which extends a supporting bar with an end mounted handle. The bar has a scalloped edge engageable with a projection on the socket holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,177 shows a wrench socket holder which has a base with a row of protrusions or teeth which are engaged by a protrusion at 212 on each holder. The holder base is of plastic which permits a degree of flexure to allow holder movement along the base. Socket holders must be inserted at an end of a tool rack and move only in one direction. Also shown is prior art with connectors at 30 for each socket holder having a pair of arms which flex to receive a socket Arm ends 42 retain a wrench socket on the connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,329 shows a row of wrench socket holders 20 each defining an opening through which a suspension rack 10 is inserted with rack edges 13, along with a central portion 11 of the rack, in frictional engagement with each wrench socket holder 20. The holders require endwise insertion onto the rack.
The present invention is directed toward a wrench socket storage device with an elongate base capable of receiving a multitude of various sized socket holder for sockets with the same or different drive sizes on the front and rear surfaces of the base.
The base preferably includes plural rows of finely spaced apart serrations extending substantially the length of the base or rail. Each wrench socket holder defines a bite area in which is received a segment of the base. Legs on each holder partially define the bite area of each socket holder. The legs may flex to permit snapping of the holder onto or off of the base or rail to permit adding holders to or subtracting holders from the rail without disturbing the placement of other holders already on the rail. An inwardly extending projection on a leg of a holder seats intermediate adjacent serrations to prevent shifting of the holder until intentionally repositioned. Multiple pairs of serrations on front and rear sides of the rail permits rows of wrench holders to add to socket holder capacity of a rail.